New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-04-11
DID THIS MAN KILL WEEKS
INSPECTOR BYRNES SURE HE HAS THE
MURDERER.
HOW THREE SNEAK THIEVES WERE TRACED-THE
STORY OF TWO OF THEM-THE ACCUSED
MAN nnHs NOT nENY HIS GrILT.

This community was startled by the murder OF
Lyman s. Weeks, wLo was shot by burglar at
his home, No. 1,071 De kalb-ave., Brooklyn, on
the evening of March Is while defending his
property from the thief D9ys have heightened
into weeks, and though the efforts OF the ponce
have been dliscnt and persistent the thief re-
NAMED unknown, and It became a settled con-
vlotion in the minds of nearly every one that this
murder would take plnce among the mysterious
cases that the police have been unable to fathom
number Of arrests were made from time to
time, but the evidence against the prisoners
turned out to be 30 slight that they were allowed
to go after few days OF investigation. But the
mystery has a. last been cleared up in large
measure, and the murderer of Mr. Weeks, blear-
eyed, sulen and defiant, was prisoner at Police
Headquarters last night: at least. Inspector
Byrnes Is positive that he has the right man.
Mr.. Weeks, II will be remembered, was awal<en-
ed by his wife about midnight on March Is.
She had been lying awake for time, and
had heard noise in the basement that sounded
us II some one was moving around. Mr.. Weeks
in order to quiet the fears Of his wife went down
stairs. lie WAS unarmed. The burglar was at
work when Mr.. Weeks got to the dining room in
the basement. lie had broken side light In
the door, pushed back the bot. and entered the
picking up chair, it is thought. The thief
who was packing up somo slyerware, hearing
the footsteIs, tu ned, drawing a revolver as he
did so, and fired at Mr. Weeks. The bullet en-
tered the right breast Mr. Weeks fell to tin
floor and in few moments died. The thei
stepped over the prostratc body and went away
as he had come in, taking the light overcoat of
Mr. Weeks with him. This all the plunder
he had got, and he took life for il. A man
W n tn I..f ftxavr
tho ncighborlo,d of Mr. Wecl1ss house about the
time when the murder committed. An i'm
perfect dcscrp ion Of him all that the police Of
brooklyn had to find the pcrpctrator Of the crime,
which WIS furnished them by some Of the neigh
bors.
There is who took deeper interest in
finding the murderer Of sir. Weeks than Inspector
Byrnes. On tho ni:ht after the murder Zero II.
Chamberlain, OF No. 2,322 Eighth-ave., went to
Inspector Byrnes's h,ue. The Inspector was not
In. and Mr.. Chamberlain said that he wanted TO
see him on business OF Importance in relation TO
tho Weeks murder. AS he was going to Brooklyn
Mr. Chamberlain left word that he would tell
what he knew TO Chief Campbell of that city.
Mr. Chamberlain's story was that carly on The
night OF the murder lie went to Brooklyn. On
the ferry boat he met two strange looking persons
In whom he became deeply interested. They
looked like pair OF tramrs, though their clothes
were fairly decent. One ~ them had small eyes.
that kept UP n constant blinking, and In looking
at any enc he lowered his head in a way thai
gave peculiar. hangdog expression to his face.
Ills companion was a fiercc-looking fellow. One
Of his shoulders WIS about even with his ear, and
the other one seemed to he about half way down
to his waist. The two men talked In low tone
all the way over, and both kept 5hufilng their
feet on the floor. which madc dsa2rceabe
noise and attracted the attention OF oil the Tns-
sengors. About twenty minutes before l2 O'Clock,
when Mr. Chamberlain was on his way home, he
a.. H. M
Ing In the shadow Of tree in front OF It, tellng
Earnestly. A. he pa = Il them he looked up quick
". and the light Of n lamp fell on the faces OF
The men hc saw the blinking eyes and crooked
shoulders OF the men who had attracted his at
tcntion on the ferry boat. He would never have
thought more aobut IL. but when he read Of the
muilor he believe d th3t tho ncn hr had seen
wcrc thieves.
Inspector Byrncs rs soon MS Mr.. Chamberlain
story was rcIcatcd 10 him. sent for nire of his
o,st men. md = MT item out to look for them
insp c; or Iyrncs bclirl ci that the murder was
not ihc work Of a first class thief His famill-
arity with the habits nd methods OF thieves led
| Inspector B, ncs 10 place The murderer among
the sneak thief class. 1h'se usually OF 1
low pialc Of intelligence. mere brutes, never dc
anything slick. ana are as n rule the most
dcsrcratc criminals OF all. The lodging houses III
this city are tho lomcs Of these Tetty thieves
They ire a room for the night, paying ten ~
fifteen cents for il. and after talking with Tho
lodging house keeper long en- ugh ior nm "
| know them, they go about th cir work. ~ theN
arc caught aftcrward the keeper comes FORWARD
and proves an alibi. II was among this scrt 0l
thieves that INSPECTOR Byrnes set his men to WORK
Detect ives McNianus and Lyman got on the
track Of three thieves who had been PYLE
their trade In Bro ollyn alb ut the time when MI
Weeks was killed These thieves kept going
the rounds of the lodi in. hous s. and IL was A
ccedin2ly difficult to place them. One ol
these men, the detectives learned, had sold "a rc,
| volvcr the day aftc Mr.. Weeks was killed, ana
alio q now overcoat. This Information com.
from n paw nsho", and tho oVcrcoat was though'
TO he Mr. Weclis's and the revolver tho ono VIII
which hc was shot. these men "crc ",s
placed In n Boweiy lodging house, ont were
not arrested ut once it was deemed pest .'
see who they were = ing with. 50 rs 10 get al
| OF the gang that S ible.
| The house If Edward Young. who nves OF
Jersey CITY Heights, and is president Of the First
| National Bank, was visited by thieves on The
night OF March %. The thieves took away a lot
OF small thin's. Detectives McManus and
| LYMAN traced this robbciy 10 The thre'
men whom they had under surveillance. fipa'iy
when it was seen that they were worRing aoho anu u
| nothing would be gained by further delay tne
thieves were arrested on last Tuesday ana cnareeu
with the robbery OF Mr.. Young's house They gave
their names as Panl Krauss. age twen.y,eicht
| John Grcenwal age twenty-five. ana Johh butcr'
age twenty three. rhcy are all Germans All oil MI
Young's property was recovered, anu Governor
Green. of New-Jerssy. applied for requsition ioI
the mon. Inspector Byrncs, however. had better
use for them. One Of the mon had small cy,S
which were always blinking. which talioa WIN
| tho description of the men Mr. Chamberlain ha
.e.n. In tho underground dungeon at Police Head
quarters these persons were treated to the heroic
third degree" which Ia usually adopted to nnssa
the lirs of criminals. On Thursday Paul Krans'
had enough Of 1t ana sent word to the inspector
that he had something to tell him. krauss was
taken to the Inspectors pleasant room. He said
that on tho night after the one on which Mr.. Wcck'
| Gas murdered no wanted to 60 to brooklyn or
| business and asked GrosDwall to 60 along. Eroon
| an oyercoai and WAS afraid 10 70 tO Brooklyn evon
az night for fear some one would rocognze MN
Green wall then told Krauss that he had shot MT
Weeks 10 Baker who came along about thil